Project 314
by ScifigeekET
Summary: Project 314. Alex is getting tired of these words that mean absolutely nothing to him. But MI6 has sent him on a misson to protect it. He knows only that it is their most dangerous weapon. It must be, for even the agents at MI6 itself are terrified...
1. Stolen Project

Maybe Project 314 was never meant to be human.

That's what the doctors believed, anyway.

But Project 314 had always seemed more than ordinary. Even before her surgery.

Alan Blunt coughed. "Is she awake yet?"

Evan Smith shook his head. "No. We would know about it."

Blunt nodded slowly. "Her progress?" He questioned.

"Remarkable." Evan replied. "Certainly better than we hoped." He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. He'd been incredibly nervous for the past few days.

Alan looked at him. "Is she ready for visitors?"

Evan nodded quickly. "Yes." He opened the door. "Go ahead."

Alan entered the room. "Her eyes are open." He noted.

Evan nodded again. "The… additions… are too delicate to allow them to close. They'll have to remain open for a few days."

Alan considered this. "When will she wake up?"

"No one knows. Could be a week. Could be a year. Could be a few minutes."

Unknown to either of them, Project 314 WAS awake. Her head was throbbing. Her black-as-midnight eyes traveled to the IV, forcing a clear liquid into her hand. The others wouldn't be able to tell what she was doing. Her eyes were solid black; no hint of white anywhere.

She'd always been good at pretending to be asleep. Now it was just easier. Despite the throbbing in her head, she could focus around it. She could think clearly, for the most part.

"She's amazing." Evan breathed. "I've never seen anything like her. All of the things that could have gone wrong…" he whistled. "It's a wonder she's still alive."

Blunt just looked at the girl coldly. "Were there any complications? ANY errors at all?"

Evan sighed. "Not that we can tell. We'll have to wait to run further tests. She needs to be awake before we know everything."

Blunt nodded. "Can we wake her up?"

Evan looked at him, horrified. "Sir, it would be incredibly risky. We don't need to take any more chances than we already have…"

"I'll make that decision."

Project 314 glanced at the two of them, making a note of everything. Alan Blunt looked… grey. There was no other way to describe him. He looked like the kind of person whose life was entirely dedicated to his job. From what she remembered of him, it was.

Evan Smith at least had some personality. She focused on him. His balding light brown hair had been slicked back. He had a pair of glasses on a black cord around his neck. He had pale skin, and a sweaty forehead. He was wringing his hands, and his nails suggested that he often chewed them. His eyes were a dark brown, and were wide and staring. Project 314 figured he was the kind of man who would sit in front of a computer for all hours of the day, gathering data and research. Before her surgery, she'd only met him for a few brief minutes. That had been her impression then, too.

She decided it was time to let them know she was awake. She groaned.

Blunt and Evan's eyes snapped over to her. Evan studied the monitor she was attached to. "She's awake." He breathed, relief filling his words.

Project 314 looked at him. "Wh-What happened?"

She wasn't sure where the stutter came from. It probably had something to do with the fact that she'd just spoken after having surgery and being asleep for goodness knew how long.

"You're safe." Evan assured her. "You've just had surgery."

She knew that. Of course she knew that. But she asked anyway. "Why?" The word felt strange in her mouth, her teeth too sharp. She had to avoid biting her tongue.

Evan smiled. "To help you. To make you a better agent."

Alan Blunt came forward. "Welcome to MI6, Project 314."

* * *

Alex Rider sighed. How long had he been in school? Three weeks? TWO weeks? He had no idea. He liked it better that way.

And yet, there it was. The inevitable message.

_They called. Want you to meet them at 5 o'clock. Be safe._

Alex smiled at Jack Starbright's wish for him to be safe. It was definitely something she would do.

Then he remembered what the rest of the message said, and his smile disappeared. He had no need to ask who 'they' were. MI6.

He sighed. Couldn't they leave him alone?

He knew the answer. No. No they couldn't.

He crumpled up the note and threw it in the trash. Fine. He would see them. But if they asked him to go on yet another wild, save-the-world mission, he would tell them to forget it.

He sighed and walked out of the house. It shouldn't take him too long to get there…

* * *

Soon, Alex found himself sitting in front of Alan Blunt.

"Alex." He greeted him.

Alex just nodded his hello.

Blunt cleared his throat and unnecessarily straightened the already perfect stack of papers. He looked at Alex with cold, calculating eyes. "Alex… we need you to do something for us."

Alex sighed. He'd figured as much. At least he was being straightforward about it. "What is it this time?"

Blunt coughed. "Do you know anything about Project 314?"

He shook his head. "Never heard of it."

Blunt nodded. "Good. The less you know, the better." He sighed. "All you need to know is that it is incredibly dangerous."

Alex nodded as well. What in this world of MI6 wasn't dangerous? Nothing he knew of, that was for sure.

Blunt sighed. "And, two months ago, it was stolen."

The fact that the project was stolen didn't surprise him as much as the time that had passed since then. If it had been stolen two months ago, why was he only hearing about this now?

"It was taken by a group of… assassins…" he sighed.

From the look on Blunt's face, Alex could easily guess who it was. "Scorpia." He breathed.

Blunt nodded. "In a way. They work for Scorpia, but aren't exactly at the heart of the operation."

Alex sighed. "And you want me to get this project back?"

Blunt shook his head. "Not yet." He sighed. "Let me explain. Project 314 is a surveillance tool. It is currently gathering intelligence. And, though we do need to retrieve it eventually, we currently need it exactly where it is."

Alex raised an eyebrow.

"We need you to protect it." He clarified.

Alex shook his head fiercely. "Scorpia will recognize me. I've dealt with them before, after all."

Blunt's eyes remained cold. "Not this area. Like I said, this is only a small part of Scorpia. They only take orders. Like soldiers. Scorpia wouldn't think they needed to know everything."

Alex sighed. "I suppose this is end-of-the-world again."

"With Project 314? No doubt."

He looked at Blunt. "And why should I do this?"

He sighed. "I figured you'd ask that." He handed Alex the small stack of papers.

Alex took it cautiously, and looked at the first page. His breath caught. "What IS this?"

A picture of a young girl stared back at him.

She looked terrified. Her face was blurred, indistinct, but Alex had enough experience with fear to recognize it on her face.

"Project 314 is not our only concern." Blunt said softly. "She was taken by Scorpia, Alex."

Alex swallowed. Who was this girl? Why would Scorpia kidnap her? What did she have to do with anything? 

"Her name is Sandra Anderson." Blunt explained. "She found out too much about Scorpia. Naturally, they felt she would have to be dealt with."

Alex felt a knot tie itself in his throat. 'Dealt with' weren't the most assuring words in the world. "What makes you think she's still alive?" The question was hard to ask, but it had to be done.

Blunt sighed. "Because she not only knows about Scorpia, but MI6 as well."

The picture was becoming clear. "They want information."

"And they'll get it." Blunt replied, his voice never changing from its calm state.

Alex sighed. "Look. This is your problem, not mine. You have agents who can do this, surely…"

"Of course. And one of them killed her father."

Alex froze.

Blunt sighed. "Sandra isn't very trusting of the MI6. Her father was killed by one of our agents by simple misunderstanding. False information drove us to the conclusion that her father was a spy. That was when she learned everything she knows about us now."

Alex shivered. He looked back at the pictures.

Like him, this girl had simply been in the wrong place, at the wrong time. She'd stumbled into something bigger than she could comprehend.

"Her mother?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Dead." Blunt replied. "Car accident. Two years after she was born."

Alex closed his eyes. So, she too had lost her family. They were more alike than he'd realized.

He swallowed. Could he really leave her in the hands of Scorpia? 

He sighed. "I'll do it."

* * *

Ashlyn Corby was one of Scorpia's most trusted agents.

Or, as close as she could get.

She had only been there for two months. It was hardly possible to get yourself at the heart of an operation in so little time. She was fine with that.

She smiled, her lips curling back of her too-sharp teeth.

Her partner, known only as Lance, shivered. "Those things give me the creeps, you know that?"

Ashlyn grinned, her teeth flashing. "What? You scared?"

Lance bristled. "Right. I'm scared of a little girl with sharp teeth." He rolled his eyes. "But seriously. Why did you have to make them so… well, strange?"

Ashlyn smiled darkly. "It's my nature."

She moved quickly out of the shadows. She'd dyed her normally red hair black to blend in with the darkness. She pulled out her knife. "Let's go." She hissed.

Lance growled, but said nothing, following her. She climbed up to the window.

"Target down." She whispered. The knife landed in the person's back. He fell to the floor.

"Excellent." Lance grinned. He flicked on the lights. "But you're always going for the direct approach." He lifted the cardboard cutout 'target' from the ground. He pulled out her knife. "Can't you try something more… subtle?"

"Hey, what works, works, k? I think I did pretty well."

Lance raised an eyebrow. "You need to take this seriously."

Ashlyn rolled her eyes. "Lance, I've been taking it seriously. I've learned more in the past two months than ANY of your other students. I just need a break, all right?"

Lance looked at Ashlyn for a long time. "I think not." 

He stood the cardboard cutout upright. "Shall we do it again?"

* * *

_"Project 314?"_

_ "I'm r-r-r-r-ready."_

_ Project 314's midnight eyes glowed. Literally, glowed in the darkness. Blue lights signaled to Evan that her software was active. _

_ She bit her lip nervously, wincing as the taste of blood filled her mouth. "As r-r-ready as I'll e-e-ever b-be."_

_ Evan nodded. "Good. Now. Tell me what you see."_

_ "E-e-Everything." She whispered. "You're h-h-holding up cards. One has a th-th-three on it. N-now a two."_

_ Evan smiled. It was pitch-black in the room._

_ "Very good. Very good. Only a few more left."_

_ "D-d-d-doctor Evans? I-i-is it ok if I j-j-just go to b-b-bed? I-i-it's three in the m-m-morning."_

_ "Are you tired?"_

_ "N-n-not really." She admitted. "I j-j-just d-d-don't like it."_

_ Evan nodded. "You're body's getting used to the adjustments. It could take a while." He flicked on the lights and motioned for one of the nurses to take her to her room. _

_ When she was gone, Alan Blunt stood next to him. "How is she doing?"_

_ "Remarkably well." Evan noted. "Everything seems to be a success."_

_ Blunt raised an eyebrow. "Except for the stutter."_

_ Evan's eyes narrowed. "She's doing the best she can."_

_ "It's not good enough." Blunt replied. "It will make her too noticeable."_

_ "All things considered, we could have done a lot worse." Evan snarled, defending his work. "There were a thousand ways it could have gone wrong. Be thankful it was THIS way, or we wouldn't HAVE a Project 314 anymore."_

_ Blunt regarded him coldly. "Do you she will be able to suppress it?"_

_ Evan nodded. "In time. It's gotten better. Just a week ago, she was barely able to form a sentence. Now, she's talking faster. She may have a harder time when she's upset. Anger, fear, depression, they can all bring it back."_

_ Blunt sighed. "Will she be ANY use as an agent?"_

_ "In time."_

_ "We don't HAVE time."_

_ "She's only a CHILD!"_

_ "So is Alex Rider."_

_ Evan glared at him. "Is THAT what this is about? You want her to be the next Alex Rider?"_

_ "He won't be this young forever."_

_ "But she's just a child! It's a wonder she wasn't killed in surgery, and now you want her out in the field?"_

_ "It was the reason she was created."_

_ "She was not CREATED, she was BORN. She's a living, breathing human being. She's not just a machine! She's more than that!"_

_ "If you are having problems, doctor, I can find someone more capable of achieving the goals I have set."_

_ "You can't blackmail me, Blunt. There isn't a man alive who knows Project 314 like I do. You could never replace me."_

_ Blunt's eyes locked on Evan's. "I want her operational in three weeks. You have until then."_

_ He walked out of the room._

_ Project 314 listened. They didn't know she could hear. They didn't think the surgery was successful enough for that. But she heard them. Every word._

_ They were always talking about how risky her surgery had been. They were always saying that they were grateful she hadn't come out worse than she had._

_ But… even MI6 wouldn't have put her in THAT much danger. _

_ Would they?_

_ And Alan Blunt… he expected so much of her. She was still aching. There was no way she was going to be able to suppress the stutter in three months, let alone three weeks. And he wanted her out in the field?  
_

_ He couldn't do this to her. She was exhausted. She'd been pushed and pushed to her breaking point. _

_ A small part of her mind thought about Scorpia. They were the reason she had been created. They needed someone who could get inside Scorpia. Someone with the athletic skills to impress them greatly._

_ Someone they didn't know._

_ Was THAT why Blunt was pushing her so hard? Because he needed her in Scorpia right away? Was that why he'd been so ready to force her to have the surgery? Even if it meant her life was in danger…?_

_ A single tear fell out of her midnight eyes…_

* * *

Far away, in a different time, Project 314 gasped, coming out of her nightmares suddenly. Her face was wet. Curiously, she placed her finger to her cheek, and pulled it away.

She'd been crying. She sighed. She hadn't cried in so long…

She looked around. She was alone. No one around. It was one in the morning, but she wasn't tired.

She stood up and walked out the door. She had to think.

Outside, the cold wind swirled around her. She didn't care. She didn't really get cold anymore. Or hot, for that matter.

She went inside to put on a jacket. It seemed the normal thing to do, in case anyone was awake. She went outside again.

Out here, she stopped suppressing the lights in her eyes. They glowed fiercely, then died down, the pressure gone.

She sat down on the sidewalk. Why not? Evan was right. She couldn't handle the field.

But Blunt was right as well. Because here she was. A perfect agent.

She sighed again. Blunt said he was calling for backup. Good. She needed it. Someone to watch her back. Two days ago, she might not have thought that, but now…

Truth be told, she could probably handle it. But she felt so… alone.

A smiled passed over her lips. He'd sent the perfect agent. Someone who understood what she was going through exactly.

Alex Rider.


	2. Just Like Her

Alex smiled as he entered the room. "Smithers." He greeted the man in front of him.

"Alex!" Smithers beamed. "Good to see you back here."

"I'd say it was good to be back, but it would be a lie."

Smithers chuckled. "Still a little upset, eh? No worries. I have something here that will change that."

He pressed a button, and a picture behind him slid to one side. He grinned and pulled out two small objects.

"Blunt told me the mission you were on." He whistled. "Nasty work."

"Don't tell me. I want to be surprised." Sarcasm dripped form Alex's voice. He still hadn't heard what he was supposed to do.

Smithers nodded. "It's understandable for you to be angry, Alex. But this IS to save someone's life."

Alex rolled his eyes, but he could never really disagree with Smithers. "Whatever you say."

Smithers smiled and handed him the small object. "Scorpia will take this from you immediately. That is, of course, the idea."

Alex looked at the object, and horror filled his eyes. He swallowed. "That's a…"

"A gun, yes." Smithers agreed. "Scorpia will naturally want you unarmed. So, they'll take this from you, take it away and put it who knows where. But we know where it will end up." He looked at Alex. "Project 314."

Alex sighed. There it was again. He had to ask someone, and Smithers seemed like the most likely person to tell him. "Smithers, what IS Project 314?"

Smithers swallowed, and for once, Alex saw genuine fear in his eyes. It was hidden well, but it was definetly there.

"Don't worry about Project 314." He said, blowing off the question with a wave of his hand. "It's not important."

Alex rolled his eyes. "I'm supposed to protect this thing. How can I do that if I don't know what it IS?"

Smithers sighed and casually pressed a small button. Suddenly, his beefy hands were on Alex's shoulders, reaching across the small desk.

"Listen to me, Alex." He hissed. "Listen carefully, because I don't have much time."

Alex's eyes widened, shock filling his features.

"Dang it! You're just a child!" Smithers moaned, removing one hand from Alex's shoulder to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Just a child…" He whispered. "Just like HER."

"Her? Smithers what are you talking about?"

"EXACTLY!" Smithers's hand was back on his shoulders, his eyes locked on Alex's. "Not who, WHAT. She's not human, Alex."

Alex looked at him for a long time.

"Alex." Smithers's voice was urgent. "Listen to me. Don't take this mission. Please, if you value your life, stay as far away from this as you can. Run. Hide. Do whatever you have to, but STAY AWAY." There was real terror in his eyes.

He placed his hands back on the desk just as Mrs. Jones came in. "Is everything all right? We lost the cameras."

Smithers smiled, but now Alex could see how truly fake it was. "Oh. Sorry about that." He pressed a button. "My mistake."

When she left, Smithers would speak no further about his warning. Alex could imagine why. Obviously, he hadn't wanted the rest of MI6 to hear.

He turned over the conversation in his mind.

_Just a child…_

_ JUST LIKE HER._

* * *

Project 314 looked at the area around her.

_All right, Blunt. _She thought. _Where is he? Where is Alex Rider?_

She sighed. She couldn't rush him. It would just have to take time…

Time. She snorted. Everything took time. Why was it that when she needed time, he wouldn't give it to her, and yet when she needed something NOW, she had to wait patiently? 

She swore. What was Blunt's problem? Couldn't he just help her?

_She's just a CHILD!_

Evan Smith's words rang through her mind. Was he right? Was she only a child?

Or was she something more?

* * *

Alex walked out of the room with one gadget. A gun. And he wasn't even supposed to use it. It was for Project 314.

But there was something else. Something MI6 didn't know about. Smithers had slipped it into his pocket.

_It's a shame they would take anything else. _He'd said when the cameras had come back on. _I have this brilliant idea for a cell phone._

_ Another one? _Alex had asked.

_This one's different. It, of course, has a button to call MI6, the number nine, I believe it was? Yes. Nine. But it also acts as a lockpick, if you use the antenna. It will get you through almost any lock in three seconds flat. Even the ones you can't open yourself. _

_ And then! If you press the number three button four times, then the call button… Well… _He smiled. _It becomes a stun grenade. Press the number FOUR button three times, it becomes a REAL grenade. The perfect escape, right in your hands._

Alex had smiled politely, and Smithers had given him a strange look as he'd left. As though he was sending Alex to his grave.

Maybe he was.

Alex tried not to shiver, but the thought was dominant in his mind. What if this was going to be his last mission? He swallowed.

He opened the door. Alan Blunt was sitting at a desk, on the far side away from Alex. He motioned for him to sit down.

Alex stayed where he was.

Alan sighed.

Alex raised an eyebrow.

Finally, Alan gave up. He handed Alex a piece of paper. "This is for you."

Alex took it from him. On it, there was a series of random numbers. No, only two numbers, repeated over and over in different sequences.

0110111000010110

1100110111001110

Alex didn't read the rest. It would have taken too long.

"These numbers won't make sense to you. But they will make sense to Project 314."

There it was AGAIN. What in the world was Project 314?

"Your job is to deliver that message."

"Without knowing what Project 314 is." Alex snapped.

"Unfortunatly. Now, we can get you in the area, but after that, it's your job to decide how you want to give it the message."

Alex sighed and folded the paper, sliding it in his pocket.

"How soon can I be there?"

* * *

Too soon.

Alex was in front of the building as quickly as MI6 could get him there.

He'd had no time to think of a plan. He didn't know what he was going to do.

He walked into the building, his eyes hard. It was a public place, and, for all he knew, it could be crawling with assassins or spies.

Those who worked for Scorpia.

At least he was still in England. That was good. He knew the area well enough. It was an advantage he could use. One that he needed badly.

His eyes darted about, looking for someone, anyone, who seemed even slightly suspicious.

He found someone.

He shivered. It was probably nothing. But there, just above her belt, there was a bluge in his shirt. A knife? A gun? He had no doubt.

He tried to get closer, making his way around everyone and everything necessary. He found a spot, close enough to hear and watch, but covered enough so that he wasn't seen.

It was a good thing he did. Because, at that moment, a young girl walked towards the man.

"Do you have it?" He whispered.

She raised a finger of caution. "Of course." She replied, her voice much softer than his.

Alex took a closer look at her, and a shiver ran down his spine.

Her hair was obviously dyed. It was bright red, unnaturally so. She had black eyes. She looked… artifical, almost. Her skin was unnaturally pale. And, at some point in her life, she'd had some sort of dental surgery, because her teeth were unnatural as well, filed to a point that made her look lethal.

He couldn't help himself. He was unable to move, pure fear paralyzing him.

And then those cold, black eyes turned, looking around the area, trying to see if anyone was watching.

Alex tried to duck. He tried to move. But he couldn't.

And then the impossible happened. Her eyes landed on him.

He'd been seen.


	3. Test

Alex Rider's heart pounded, going faster and faster, sounding louder and louder until he thought that everyone else could undoubtedly hear it. His chest felt tight. A bead of sweat trailed down the side of his face.

It seemed to last forever. Alex waited for her to say something to the person next to her. He waited for her to sound some kind of alarm.

But then, the most unexpected thing happened.

She turned away.

It was almost as though she hadn't seen him. Like she didn't find anything about him suspicious. But it was impossible. He was in plain view, easy enough to detect.

Maybe, despite how she looked, she wasn't quite as deadly as he'd thought.

But somehow he doubted it.

"The information states that Project 314 is within our operations." She hissed to her partner. Even her voice sounded artificial. There was nothing about her that was real; it was all plastic.

His eyes widened. "Impossible!" he replied. "We would have known!"

"Not necessarily." She replied. Her voice sounded too clear, too perfect. It sent shivers down Alex's spine. "Remember, MI6 has penetrated our operation before. And this time we have no idea what Project 314 is."

So they didn't know either? Well, of course. Alex shook his head, trying to clear it. Scorpia, or this part of Scorpia, knew nothing about Project 314, just like him. He'd been told that from the start!

So why was he having such a hard time concentrating?

The artificial woman snorted and turned away. "We'll talk tonight. Meet me here at 0200 hours."

The man nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

She glared at him, then walked away.

Alex made a mental note. 2:00 AM. He'd just have to be there.

Suddenly, a vice-like grip clamped onto his shoulder. Panicked, he tried to stand, but the owner of the hand was too strong, refusing to let him up. "Silence." He couldn't tell if it was male or female. "Now listen to me, Alex Rider."

Alex tried once more to get up, but the grip remained as steady as ever. "I…I don't know what you're talking about. You have the wrong person…"

"Silence!" The voice hissed again. "There's no time for denial. You are Alex Rider. Fourteen years old. You work for MI6, and have worked with the CIA in the past. I know all about you, so don't make me prove it."

He swallowed.

"Now, LISTEN." It sighed. "For someone who's supposed to be a legend, I would have thought you would keep yourself hidden better. If she'd have seen you…" A small whistle. "But that doesn't matter now. You must listen to me, and listen carefully. Do you have the sheet?"

Alex paled. The sheet of paper with the strange numbers was in his pocket, threatening to burn a hole through it. "It's for Project 314."

"I know!" The voice snapped. "You think I don't KNOW that? Give it to me! I know where the Project is!"

"What if I don't believe you?" He demanded, trying again to get up. This person's grip was solid, like steel, clamped on his shoulder and refusing to let him move. "You aren't exactly giving me a reason to."

"No time! Give it to me!"

"NO!" Alex whirled around, trying to twist the person's arm as he did so. But when he finally looked, the person was gone.

A small piece of paper was in his hand. Carefully, he opened it.

_Call me when you're ready to talk. _The message was brief, and followed by a phone number.

But that wasn't all. The last few words on the page made Alex's breath catch in his throat.

_Project 314 is waiting. _

He looked at the number for a long time, making sure to memorize it carefully, exactly, with no flaws.

* * *

Project 314 snarled in frustration. Despite his huge reputation, Alex Rider was an _idiot_. Annoyance swept through her. He could have been seen! This whole mission could be compromised because Alex Rider decided he wanted to be _seen_.

She massaged her forehead, trying to clear away the headache. She'd read every single file on Alex Rider. He was _supposed _to be good at this!

But despite everything, Alex _was _only fourteen.

Did that make him an idiot by nature? Unable to handle life-threatening missions? The very fact that he was alive was proof that wasn't true.

And, the fact that she was also a child disproved that fact as well. After all, she was MI6's most deadly weapon.

* * *

_"Doctor Evan Smith?"_

_Evan nodded. "That's me, sir."_

_The prime minister regarded him thoughtfully. "_You _created Project 314?"_

_"Yes."_

_He raised an eyebrow. _

_"Sir, if you doubt me, why don't you ask her yourself?"_

_"Her?" The prime minister turned to Alan Blunt. "What exactly _is _Project 314, Blunt?"_

_Blunt looked at him coldly. "You asked for this, sir. Remember that."_

_The prime minister nodded. "Just show me."_

_Blunt sighed and nodded towards Evan, who sighed deeply and turned around. "Project 314?"_

_Project 314 slowly entered the room._

_The prime minister took an involuntary step back. "A _child?_" He demanded. _

_Evan nodded. "She is thirteen years old. We were fortunate to find her at such an early age, at least one year younger than Alex Rider."_

_"Yes…" The prime minister seemed to regain his composure. "The child spy." He turned to Blunt. "I thought I told you to stop that program."_

_"We shall discuss that later." Blunt retorted._

_The prime minister came up next to Project 314, looking at her as though she was on display in a museum. _

_She swallowed. "W-W-What are y-y-you looking a-a-at?" She demanded harshly._

_"Project 314!" Evan snapped. _

_She cringed. "S-S-S-Sorry sir." She was tempted to mock bow, but decided against it. _

_The prime minister looked at her again. "And what am I looking at?"_

_"Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-" Project 314 couldn't speak, she was so furious. _

_"What?" The prime minister asked. _

_"WHO!" She shrieked out at last. "N-N-N-N-N-N-Not Wh-Wh-What, Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Who."_

_"Silence." Blunt ordered._

_"WHO am I looking at?" The prime minister corrected. _

_"This is Project 314. She has advanced reflexes, muscle capacity, and often times brain function." Evan answered. _

_"Often times?" The prime minister questioned._

_"Well… it can sometimes be… somewhat… erratic. Hence the stutter."_

_"So, what you're saying is… she's… defective?"_

_Project 314 let out a harsh snarl. _

_"She doesn't really like that term." Evan said quickly. "Bear in mind, she _is _the most dangerous person in the room."_

_The prime minister rolled his eyes and walked over to her. "You won't hurt me. You know why? Because you're being guarded. Half a dozen men have a gun aimed at your head. Do you really want to risk that?"_

_She glared at him. "D-D-D-D-D-Do you w-w-w-w-want me t-t-t-t-to speak, or are you j-j-j-j-j-just going to c-c-c-c-c-c-c-criticize?"_

_He glared back. "Show me what she can do."_

_Evan sighed. _

_

* * *

_

_Project 314 continued to glare at the prime minister as she looked around in the pitch-black room. _

_"Ready?" Evan's voice came over the intercom._

_She nodded once, briefly. _

_Every booby trap in the place was set off._

_It was one basic part of training. They reset the way the obstacles were placed so that she couldn't memorize the order. _

_A blade swished down. She danced out of the way._

_Arrows were no problem; her motor skills had been improved with her muscles and reflexes. She dodged them with ease. _

_A hole opened out in front of her. She jumped across. _

_A man came up next to her, a sword in hand. She blacked it and kicked him in the shin, effectively breaking it and cutting her hand in the process. _

_The obstacles continued in this manner until she was at the end, covered in sweat, bloody, and panting. Her midnight black eyes narrowed as she looked in the prime minister's general direction._

_Apparently, he wasn't impressed. _

_"This isn't Indiana Jones, Blunt. She's not going to be facing arrows. She's going to face _bullets._"_

_Project 314 let out a fearsome snarl and swore in three languages, stuttering at the same time._

_"Silence!" Blunt ordered. _

_She swore again, in Russian, then went quiet. _

_"We are aware of that." Evan explained to the prime minister. "Which is why we've designed a new test."_

_A _new _test? They promised her this would be routine!_

_She spat out the foulest words she knew, directed at MI6 and the prime minister. This time, she did it in Japanese. Then in Spanish. _

_Then she realized what Evan meant._

_It was a tank. A tank! What did they expect of her? _

_Oh yeah. Survival._

_She spat and yanked off the long sleeves on her shirt. They were already ripped and useless. They would only get in the way._

_She swore one last time, in English, and jumped at the tank._

_It was harder than she'd thought. Much harder. She didn't know much about tanks. She didn't know what metal they were made of. She didn't know what bullets it shot, she didn't know anything! She was _supposed _to know this, but she simply didn't. She was thirteen! Not meant to be looking up guns and weapons. _

_Her fist made a clanging sound, like a bell, as it struck the metal. She shrieked in pain and fury and jumped back. _

_The tank was faster than she'd thought. The gun swiveled around to face her and fired._

_She swore again as she dodged the huge chunk of metal hurled at her. It caught her shoulder, and blood poured from the wound. Had she been… human, her shoulder would have shattered. _

_Thankfully, she was far from human. _

_She snarled as the metal of the bullet ground against the metal in her shoulder. There were metal plates everywhere in her body, where bone should be. The more fragile areas had changed, and the most deadly areas had been made more lethal, particularly her skull, elbows, shoulders, and knees. _

_But it was nothing compared to this machine._

_She raced around to the back of the tank and started climbing up it. Her hands gripped the barrel of the gun, and she pulled upwards. Her arms strained against the metal, but nothing happened. _

_She spat and jumped off the tank. This was getting her no where!_

_She jammed her knee into the tank's surface, succeeding only in scraping the skin and making the slightest dent in the tank's surface._

_A dent._

_Project 314 went insane, screeching and rushing around the tank as it kept trying to face her. She wouldn't let it, keeping focused on the dent. _

_She slammed her knuckles into the metal, shrieking in pain and fury. Every bone in her body that she remembered wasn't really bone started to pound into the side of the tank. She even used her forehead, but it made her dizzy, which didn't help as she ran in circles trying to keep focused on the dent, which was barely increasing._

_Hate burned in her veins. She let out a blood-curdling, inhuman screech, and her knuckles finally broke through._

_It was only a small hole. But it was enough. _

_A hysterical giggle burst through her lips as she continued working at the hole, dancing away from gunfire as she did so. The driver of the tank had more sense than to come out and just shoot her with a normal gun, otherwise this would all be over._

_Project 314 took in a deep breath and squeezed into the now almost-child-size hole. A few seconds later, it was over as she bit straight through the wires, her razor-sharp teeth helping at last as she had no real room to smash anything. In places without wires, she did her best to just crush anything in her way in her two vice-like hands._

_She emerged from the tank, unsure of how she did what she did. Most likely, this tank was modified, so that she had at least a chance to win. _

_Blood poured from her shoulders, arms, forehead, and knees. There was no skin left on her metal knuckles, practically none on her completely metal hands. _

_Her skin was covered in blood and sweat. Her breathing was ragged and harsh. _

_But hate still burned in her eyes, the battle in her muscles. _

_"I-I-I-I h-h-h-h-hate y-y-you." She hissed. _

_"Now, now." The prime minister's irritatingly patronizing voice came over the intercom. "That's no way to talk."_

_She snarled in response._

_

* * *

_

_"I hope you're happy." Evan Smith hissed at Alan Blunt. "You've just caused major damage to her. She may not be operational when we need her."_

_"She'd better be." Alan replied coldly. _

_Evan glared at him as he went inside. "Well done, Project…"_

_"D-D-D-D-D-Don't!" The teenager spat. "D-D-Do you know w-w-w-what y-you've d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-done?"_

_His eyes widened.  
_

_She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer to her, whispering in his ear, her voice dark with hatred. "You were th-the only p-p-p-person I t-t-t-t-trusted in M-M-MI6. And you b-b-b-betrayed me."_

_She shoved him to the ground. "I d-d-d-d-d-d-d-don't forget. And I d-d-d-d-don't f-f-f-f-forgive." _

_And, head held high, she left the room._

**A/N: Sadly, I don't own Indiana Jones. Also, I have no idea who the real prime minister of England is, so obviously this isn't really based on him. So, no offence meant. This prime minister is purely from my imagination. **


	4. Ashlyn Corby

_Project 314 found the blueprints next to the bed the next day. They were obviously for a tank. She was right; it had been modified. Evan had known how she would attack it, and adjusted it accordingly. The prime minister would have been clueless to that fact, but it would be easier for her to destroy the machine. _

_But that didn't mean she trusted him._

_The prime minister would expect a driver to come out of the tank to shoot her, if she dodged the larger gun. This tank had no driver. But Evan could have fixed that. If there was something human with that machine, she would have been able to win so much faster. _

_Evan might think he was doing the right thing for her, but he was wrong. _

_She snarled and crumpled the blueprints into a ball, tossing it into the trash can with perfect aim. _

_"I d-d-d-d-d-d-don't f-f-f-forgive." She whispered._

_Alan blunt entered the room. "Hello, Project 314."_

_"I h-h-h-have a r-r-real n-n-n-n-name, you kn-kn-know."_

_He just looked at her. "Not anymore."_

_She spat out a single, ugly, swear word, not bothering to mask her hate._

_He sighed. "Really. That won't get you very far in life."_

_She glared at him, wondering how long it would take for the alarms to go off if she smashed his head into the wall._

_Evan came in behind Blunt, wiping his handkerchief across his forehead. "Hello, Project 314. How are you this morning?"_

_She turned around, refusing to look at him. She held her hand out, still bloody from the day before, the skin still gone, revealing the metal bones. "L-L-L-L-Like you c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-care." She spat._

_Evan sighed deeply. "I'm… I'm sorry."_

_"S-S-S-S-S-Save it for s-s-s-someone who b-b-b-b-b-believes you." She hissed._

_Evan swallowed. He looked like he was about to say something, but Blunt cut him off. _

_"You have one week, then we're sending you one your first mission." His eyes were hard. "You'd better be ready."_

_Once again, she contemplated slamming his head into the wall. "A-A-A-A-And if I'm n-n-n-not?" _

_His eyes narrowed. "Then you will have no further use."_

_She glared at him. "You kn-kn-kn-kn-kn-know nothing, B-B-B-B-B-B-Blunt. N-N-N-N-N-Nothing."_

_

* * *

_

"His name is Alex Rider. He works for MI6."

"And you're _sure _it was him, Ashlyn?"

"Positive. I'll never forget that face."

"Very well. We'll have to kill him."

"No. Not yet."

"Oh?"

"I've heard of Alex Rider. He took on Scorpia itself. Twice. Now, we _have _to make him think he's winning."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"From what I know, he's trying to give something to Project 314. If we let him, we'll know what the Project is, _and_ he'll think he's won."

"Good point. Very well. We let him give the item to the Project. And then we kill him."

* * *

Alex crept out, shivering crazily. It was two in the morning, the night that… artificial girl (if she could really be called a girl; it sounded too human for her appearances) had agreed to meet with that other man.

He snuck inside, glad to be away from the wind. He hurried into a corner, hidden by shadow.

The door opened to let in someone Alex could not see. The darkness was complete, smothering all images.

Until a flash of bright blue light danced across the room for a split-second. It was in a pattern of a computer chip, almost, pipes and spots decorating it, in two small areas, like unnatural and strange eyes.

It disappeared in a second. The sound of footsteps grew closer, then stopped abruptly. He heard a floorboard squeak, then silence.

After a few minutes, someone else entered the room. "Ashlyn?" A voice whispered.

"Back here." Came the reply. The voices clearly belonged to the people Alex had seen.

The man sighed and flicked on a flashlight. The figure of the girl was illuminated in the beam.

"Subtle." She remarked.

"How else am I supposed to know where you are?" He shot back.

"By turning on the light, perhaps?" She replied coolly. "A flashlight is more suspicious than a normal one, wouldn't you agree?"

He sighed through his nose and turned off the flashlight. Alex hurriedly found a more hidden spot as the man turned on the larger light above.

For the first time, he really looked at the man. He had dark brown hair and sharp, hawkish eyes that darted around nervously. They finally landed on the girl, staying still as they stared at her. Clearly, he held the same revulsion to her that Alex had; he could see him repressing the shiver and the look of distaste.

She sighed. "She told me we need a new recruit. And, seeing how well children are working out…"

He raised an eyebrow. "She wants another child in our operations?"

"A spy, to be specific. One who won't mind killing. One who can forge documents and such. Routine matters."

"Do you have anyone in mind?"

She shrugged, her too-perfect shoulders rising and falling in a seemingly unnatural motion. "Not really. But we need to send word out. That's where you come in."

The man nodded once. "Very well." He looked at her. "Usual place?"

"Yes. Over the next few days. We'll test them there, find out if they're… worthy candidates."

"And then?"

She shrugged. "How am I to know what she wants? We play it by ear."

He nodded. "Fine." He turned to the door. "You coming?"

She shook her head. "I have to… retrieve something, if you know what I mean."

He looked at her for a long time. "Be careful, Ashlyn."

She rolled her midnight black eyes. "Who do you think I am, Lance? An amateur?"

He sighed. "Reckless, actually."

And he left before she could say anything.

She glared at the spot where he'd just been before switching off the light. Alex shivered as he heard the sound of metal against metal.

"I know you're here." She whispered. "Come out."

Alex stayed put.

"You're interested in the job, I get it." She breathed. He heard the metal against metal sound again, and felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as he realized what it was.

She was gently tapping a knife against some of the metal foundations in the building. Tall poles, railings, nothing was safe. He even heard a dull _thump _as it struck wood.

"It's all right." The knife scraped against something, sending small sparks. "I won't hurt you."

He sincerely doubted that, and his suspicions grew as he heard the knife carve something into wood.

"Look. If you want the job, just say so."

Alex found his lips moving in a small whisper. "I want the job." He didn't know why he'd said it.

Evidently, she'd heard. He saw those unnaturally pointed teeth glint in the moonlight as she smiled. "Good. I think you have potential." The knife continued to carve into the wood. "After all, Lance didn't even know you were here."

He heard something clatter to the floor. "I'll be waiting to hear from you." She said, her voice cold as the moonlight shining through the windows. He heard the door open, then close as she left.

He waited for a minute to see if she was really gone, then turned on a small flashlight that had been in his pocket.

He pointed it everywhere, finally certain that she'd left. He turned the beam to the floor, where he saw the wood she'd been carving into, saw what had clattered to the floor.

It was just a piece of wood; maybe a lid from a crate or something. This building had parts that were being reconstructed; maybe it was from a crate or spare piece of wood there. But there was a message crudely carved into it, an address.

Alex hurriedly memorized it. He had a pretty good idea as to where it was.

This… Ashlyn… had said something about a job. A job as a spy. Someone who could kill, someone who could forge papers, etc, etc. He still remembered some of his Scorpia training, hopefully enough to get him inside the operations.

He smiled. This could work out better than he'd thought.

* * *

The house was old. It looked abandoned, but shadows crossing the windows told Alex otherwise.

He walked to the door and knocked. It swung open to reveal Lance, the man he'd seen last night.

"I'm looking for Ashlyn." Alex said, hoping he looked braver than he felt.

Lance raised an eyebrow. "And you are…?"

"Felix." Alex replied. "Felix Arkson."

Lance smiled. "Original. Very good." He opened the door wider. "Come on in. Ashlyn will be here in a while."

Alex entered, finding two other people inside.

"This is 'Rose' and 'Jerry'." Lance said, indicating to each in turn. They glared at Alex. He glared back.

"Ashlyn will be here in a few minutes," Lance continued. "To give you the… information you'll need." He smiled and left the room. Alex caught the barest hint of a telltale bulge under his shirt, concealing a blade or a gun.

His eyes passed over Rose and Jerry for a moment, and he noticed other telltale signs of killer instincts. Rose hadn't even bothered to conceal the knife in her belt. Jerry was more cautious, but Alex still saw the bulge under Jerry's shirt.

Alex hoped his own gun was concealed better than that, but he somehow doubted it. Jerry was more of a professional than Alex was in the assassination field; he'd have more practice hiding weapons.

Everyone jumped and Rose pulled out her knife as the door closed again. Alex whirled around to see a too-perfect smile under black eyes and flaming red hair.

Ashlyn chuckled. "Well, I see you all have the natural paranoia. It can save your life, you know." One perfect eyebrow rose. "It can also destroy it."

The knife went back in Rose's belt. "I take it you're Ashlyn Corby."

Ashlyn nodded. Alex smiled slightly, glad of the last name he hadn't known. "And you are Rose Serkin, Jerry Lawrence, and Felix Arkson. All false names, I take it?"

Rose and Jerry nodded, and Alex quickly did the same. He suddenly realized what Lance's praise of 'Original' meant. His name was _meant _to be fake.

Ashlyn looked at them all. She was still smiling, that too-perfect smile that couldn't be human, keeping Alex's earlier description of 'artificial' still intact. Her lips curled slightly over her pointed teeth, which made him shiver slightly. The very sight of her unnerved him in the worst ways.

Ashlyn regarded them all thoughtfully. "I was expecting a few more…" She muttered out loud. "But then, I suppose children that are also hardened criminals are very rare…"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Not where I come from." She murmured.

Ashlyn's eyes whipped to Rose. "Oh?"

Rose shrugged. "Thieves and druggies, mostly. Hard to find real killers, but anything less…" She shrugged again.

Ashlyn smiled. "We'll keep that in mind."

"What's the interest in children, anyway?" Jerry asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Ashlyn turned to him. "Because people underestimate us." She retorted. "When we can be some of the most powerful people on the planet." She smiled, walking back and forth in front of them.

"Have any of you ever heard of Scorpia?"

Rose's knife slid out slowly. "You could say that." She replied, a note of pain in her voice, hidden by hate.

Jerry nodded as well. "Spies, assassins. That sort of thing. Highly powerful organization, until a few months ago. No one really knows what happened."

Alex thought it best to agree as well. "They worked in Venice, didn't they?"

Ashlyn's glittering eyes flickered to him for a second, and for a heart-stopping moment, he thought he'd revealed too much. But after a moment, she nodded. "It's common knowledge that Scorpia, while they worked in many different areas of the world, were centered in Venice." She smiled. "And _I _know what happened, Jerry." She told him, turning to him.

Jerry raised one skeptical eyebrow.

She chuckled, a sound that was too perfect to be human. "Scorpia was utterly destroyed, their operations compromised and their pride demolished by one person."

Rose's eyes gleamed. "Who?"

Ashlyn smiled at her. "A child, Rose. Much like you and I. A spy for MI6 who was only fourteen years old."

Rose's face broke into a satisfied smile. "No less than they deserved." She growled.

But Jerry remained skeptical. "A child spy? MI6 would never…"

"It's true." Ashlyn said. "Insane as it sounds, MI6 recruited a child. A boy named Alex Rider."

Rose grinned. "I'd like to meet him. Brought down Scorpia!" She breathed. An excited gleam entered her eyes.

But Alex's mind was racing. He expected that criminals would have learnt of him if he brought down Scorpia. But he didn't like that they knew his name. He also didn't like the information he was receiving in such an indirect way, information countering what Blunt had told him.

Information that showed that MI6 had _lied _to him once again.

Blunt had told him that he was going back into Scorpia. He'd said that a girl, Sandra Anderson, had been kidnapped by them. He'd said that Alex was there to rescue her.

But this wasn't Scorpia. Scorpia no longer existed.

Rage flowed through him, blazing like an icy flame. He should have expected this. He should have _known this!_ Blunt had said the word _Scorpia, _and Alex had been all battle ready, prepared to destroy the company that had taken so much from him. Blunt had played him like a violin, saying the exact words that would trigger exact memories…

"Now, here's what's going to happen." Ashlyn said, breaking him from his thoughts. His mind snapped back to the conversation. "We're going to keep you in a hotel room, just for tonight. You're expected to get up early tomorrow morning, and be prepared for any tests we throw your way."

"The tests begin tomorrow, then?" Rose asked.

Ashlyn nodded. "We need the light, and of course, the time." She said, indicating the setting sun. "I hope you all understand; this was a complication that we hadn't expected…"

But they all nodded.

She smiled. "Good. Now, if you'll all follow me…"

She led them to a waiting car. Alex sat next to the window, Rose on his other side. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him, but he pointedly ignored her. She smiled approvingly and looked away at last.

The drive was short enough; perhaps a half hour, but it seemed like an eternity. One wrong word could bring Alex to an early grave, and he was completely aware of the fact.

The hotel was a welcome sight. Alex smiled. He was completely aware of the fact that criminals often got the better end of the deal; he'd seen millionaires in Scorpia and had spent the night in hotels that were nothing short of palaces. On first sight, he could see that this was the case for the hotel they were coming up to.

The car parked in front, and Ashlyn took them each to their rooms. Rose's was across from Alex's, Jerry's was to the left, and Ashlyn's was to the right.

Alex marveled at the room. It could hardly be called a room, as indeed there was more than one there. Alex quickly took a small tour around it. Four rooms, to be exact, and one large bathroom. The shower was a welcome sight, but Alex had something else he needed to see first.

He took the tour again, this time with more caution. His eyes darted around, and he looked in every place he could think of where a bug could be hidden. He found them everywhere, behind pictures, in lamps, even one pointing at his bed in plain sight; right on the ceiling.

He smirked and raised an eyebrow at each of them that he was certain was a camera instead of a simple listening device. For those that were listening devices, he's said, "Testing, testing, one two three, is this thing on?", hoping to get his message across.

There was a small refrigerator in his room, and he looked at it carefully. It wasn't one of those that they charged you for each item, though Alex was sure that whoever Ashlyn worked for would take care of it if it was.

He took out a water bottle and sniffed it carefully, then tasted it. Not poisoned, not laced with any type of drug, as far as he could tell. His head wasn't swimming in the slightest. That was good.

He relaxed slightly and went off to take a shower. To make sure, he'd even sniffed the shampoo and conditioner bottles, careful to note if he was even slightly tired. Thankfully, his head stayed clear. He smiled and walked into the steaming shower, hoping to make sense of everything he'd learnt today.

One thing was certain, though. He had a very important phone call to make.


	5. Alive

After what turned out to be a good twenty minute shower, Alex dressed again, in jeans and a t-shirt that he'd found in the closet. He ran downstairs, where Ashlyn was sitting in the waiting room.

"Felix…?"

Alex jumped. He hadn't seen her. He mentally swore, realizing that he should have expected some sort of guard.

She smiled, her sharp teeth showing. "What's wrong?"

He smiled back. Two could play at that game. "I need to make a personal phone call."

One too-perfect eyebrow arched upwards. "To who, might I ask?"

He shrugged, as though it didn't matter. "An old girlfriend." He lied quickly. "She wanted to start our relationship again, but…" He sighed. "I can't exactly have a steady relationship if I'm an assassin, now can I?"

She smiled again. "I see your point." She indicated for him to leave.

Alex kept walking, trying not to run as he felt her midnight black eyes boring holes into the back of his skull. But when he caught sight of her again, she was reading a book, her eyes showing no indication of ever looking at him.

Ashlyn waited until Alex had left the building before wiping the smile off her face. Her eyes glittered, and she stood, her hands clawed and her expression fierce as she followed him silently.

* * *

Alex probably stood there for five minutes, trying to calm himself down before he called. Finally, he pressed the number nine on the phone, then the call button.

He placed the phone to his ear. It rang twice before someone picked up. "Alex?"

Alex sighed. It wasn't Blunt. It was Smithers. He sounded incredibly relieved, and surprised, that Alex was alive and able to make this call. "Put him on the phone." Alex said through clenched teeth.

Smithers let out a sigh of relief, then seemed to realize what Alex had said. He didn't need to ask who Alex meant. "Blunt is a little… busy, Alex…"

"Put him on the phone." Alex repeated, his tone dark.

Smithers sighed. "Give me a minute to transfer the call."

Alex waited in silence as the phone rang once more.

"Alan Blunt." A voice finally said.

"You lied to me." Alex kept straight to the point.

"Alex? How did you…?"

"That doesn't matter, Blunt. You lied to me." He glared at thin air, as though Alan Blunt was standing in front of him. "I want to know why and I want to know _now._"

Blunt sighed. "What happened, Alex?"

"You mean which _one _of your lies did I find out about?" Alex was seething. "What else isn't true? Is Sandra Anderson dead already? Was there ever even a Sandra Anderson in the first place?"

Blunt sighed again. "What happened, Alex?" He repeated, his voice a monotone.

Alex realized that his anger wasn't going to get him any closer to the truth, though he didn't accept that realization. "Scorpia doesn't exist anymore, Blunt. I found that one out for myself." His eyes narrowed. "Didn't you think that information might be useful? You want me to penetrate this operation, and you don't tell me _who it is?_ What if I'd called them 'Scorpia?'?"

Alan tried to interrupt him, but Alex was having none of that.

"It's bad enough that you _manipulate _me, _blackmail _me, and _lie _to me, but now you send me into an operation with no idea what I'm looking for, no idea what I'm doing, nothing! This can get me _killed, _don't you get that?"

"Alex, let me explain…"

"And you act like I'm so 'useful', like you actually need me alive, like I'm actually important! Then you pull _this?_"

"You've been replaced, Alex."

It wasn't Blunt's voice, though evidently he heard it as well. "Enough, Smithers." Alan said coldly.

"He deserved to know!" Smithers protested.

"I said enough." Alan's voice was soft. "We'll talk later, Smithers."

"No!" Smithers cried out. Alex could hear someone coming into his office, trying to cut off their communications. "Get out of there, Alex! While you still can! Before she-"

He was cut off abruptly. Alex swallowed, his blood running cold.

"Explain." He ordered Blunt.

Blunt sighed. "You're right, Alex. I'm sorry we lied to you."

Alex thought he didn't sound sorry at all.

"However, we believed it was necessary. The less you knew, the better. Ignorance was the only thing that could protect you." He sighed again. "Sandra Anderson is real enough, though that is not her name. She was kidnapped, yes, but then she… well, she became one of them. An assassin."

"And who is 'them' exactly?"

"Depends on who you ask. But the general idea is the same; they're assassins, spies, thieves, basically criminals for hire."

"Like Scorpia."

"Only smaller. Though they're large enough to cause problems. Which is why we sent Project 314 in the first place. It's why we sent you."

"And what is Project 314?"

"You don't need to know that at this time, Alex…"

Alex swore. "The truth, Blunt! Now!"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you."

"Then I can't help you."

"Alex, information about Project 314 simply _can't _be revealed. I'm sorry."

"I'm meant to protect this thing! I don't even know what it is!"

"You will know when you need to." Blunt said coolly.

Alex sighed, realizing that was the best he was going to get for now. "One more thing. What is Sandra Anderson's real name?"

"Classified. But I can tell you what she changed it to."

"And…?"

"Ashlyn Corby. Her name is now Ashlyn Corby."

* * *

Ashlyn watched Alex with narrowed eyes. She saw him close the phone and hurriedly ran back to the waiting room. She wondered how much he knew now. Only what MI6 _wanted _him to know, of course.

She wondered if he knew about Project 314.

She had the book in her hands long before Alex came in, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"What did she say?" She asked innocently, though she kept her lips purposely above the sharp points of her teeth as she smiled at him.

He sighed in return, looking at her for a long time before replying. "She didn't take it well."

Her smiled widened. "I can imagine." She raised an eyebrow. "You'd better get some sleep."

Alex nodded, his expression blank as he walked to the lift, pressing the button and walking inside, rising slowly to his floor.

* * *

Alex had been in his room and pajamas for a total of ten minutes before someone knocked.

"Who is it?" He asked, getting up, wary as he walked towards the door.

"Felix?" A voice said on the other side. "It's Rose. Can I come in?"

He looked through the peephole. It was Rose, like she'd said. He smiled slightly and opened the door.

She looked slightly stunned by the fact that he'd actually opened the door. "Sure." He said, opening the door wider for her.

She smiled nervously as she walked in. He indicated for her to sit down. She obeyed, and he sat across from her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Rose sighed. "Well…"

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

She looked down, chewing her nails.

He smiled. "Drop the nervous act, Rose. You've still got your knife, and to be honest, you don't seem the nervous type."

She kept her eyes glued to the floor for a moment, then smirked and looked up at him. "You're good." She admitted, leaning back in her chair, completely relaxed.

He smiled. "It's why I'm here."

She chuckled. "It's Jerry. I don't like him."

Alex rolled his eyes. "That makes two of us."

She leaned forward eagerly. "You too, huh?" She sighed. "He's too paranoid, but he doesn't do anything about it. Too jumpy, but without the knives and guns that he'd need." She looked at him. "I say we put him out of his misery. Eliminate him from the competition. Make it harder on him tomorrow, in any way we can."

He smirked, playing along. "Now we're talking my language. Sabotage?"

She nodded, her eyes gleaming. "That's the general idea."

He chuckled. "Sounds good."

She held out a hand. "Shake on it?"

He looked at her hand for a minute, as though suspicious, then shook it. There were no tricks, nothing up her sleeve that he could see.

She stood and started to leave.

"Rose?"

She turned around. "Yes?"

"How do I know you didn't offer Jerry the same deal?"

She smirked and walked back to him slowly. "I'm going to tell you something that people learn very quickly when they're near me, Felix. Something very important that you should always, _always _know." By this point, she was right next to him, leaning down and whispering in his ear.

"You don't know." She breathed, then gently kissed him on the cheek. She smiled as she walked out. "See you in the morning!"

Alex stared after her.

* * *

"Ashlyn?"

"Yes?"

Lance came into the waiting room. "Are they all asleep?"

She nodded once. "You have the footage?"

He nodded. "They all did as you thought. Though Felix was the only one who thought to test the shampoo and conditioner. Either he's naturally suspicious or…"

"Experienced. Yes." She turned to him. "He made a phone call to a certain Alan Blunt today."

"Blunt? Did he tell him anything?"

"No. Blunt was the one doing the talking. From what I saw, Felix was pretty furious with him."

"So you think _he's _Alex?"

"I _know _he's Alex, Lance. I'm not an idiot. It's the boy they said would 'rescue me' when they sent me out there in the first place." Her black eyes turned cold.

Lance's eyes narrowed. "You do realize that _she's _here, don't you?" He said suddenly.

She all but fell backwards in shock. "_What?_"

Lance nodded. "And she's very keen to meet the person who translated her orders. Apparently, she's not too happy with your version of her words."

She turned considerably pale as Lance's hand gripped her arm. "She wants to talk to you."

Ashlyn Corby looked downright sick as she was led away into the other room.

* * *

Red flashed in Ashlyn's vision for a split second as the fist connected with her head.

"MI6 sent you, didn't they?" The woman demanded. "_Didn't they?_"

Ashlyn swore defiantly in Japanese.

The woman nodded to Lance, who lashed out again, sending red dancing across her vision once more.

"_Who are you?_" The woman roared.

"Ashlyn Corby!" Ashlyn insisted, earning another fist in her face.

Lance cried out in pain, jumping back and clutching his hand in shock. "What the…?"

Ashlyn laughed, a hysterical, insane laugh.

The woman (known only as 'The Director') looked at her, and for the first time in three years, looked surprised. Scared, even. "No." She breathed, her French accent that she kept hidden well returning in her moment of fear. "Impossible!"

The Director came forward slowly, as though Ashlyn was a bomb set to explode. Ashlyn continued to smile as The Director carefully placed a finger on the cut on Ashlyn's head, moving aside the blood.

She took a step back. "Impossible!"

She whirled around to look at Lance, holding out a hand. "Give me a knife."

Lance looked at her, confused.

"A knife, Lance!" The Director ordered.

Lance obeyed, pulling out a knife. The Director snatched it from his hand and whirled around again to face Ashlyn, who was grinning at her with a wild light in her eyes.

The Director walked back over to her cautiously, then aimed the knife at Ashlyn's hand, slicing through the skin.

She stumbled backwards in shock, swearing softly in French.

"What is it?" Lance asked, coming up behind her. His eyes widened as he saw what The Director had seen.

Ashlyn laughed coldly, but it was her words, not her laughter, that sent fear racing in their hearts.

"Project 314 lives!"


	6. Spy

When Ashlyn came to get them the next day, Alex took careful note of the fresh cut above her eye, the livid bruises on her arms. But she ignored questions about them, and everyone soon gave up.

She'd placed them all in the same car they'd been in the day before. Rose sat next to Alex again, but this time she didn't glare at him. He briefly noted the ring on her index finger, one that hadn't been there the day before. It was a simple green gem in a silver web.

Jerry was sitting one seat ahead of them, shooting murderous glances at anyone that came in his range of sight. He was wearing all black today, but Alex could tell they had a purpose, and he wasn't just wearing them to make a fashion statement.

Somewhat absentmindedly, he started ticking through what he knew about Jerry. He was ruled by logic, never did anything he didn't think about first, was more than a little paranoid, and never trusted anyone he didn't have good reason to trust.

Rose was slightly different. Paranoid, of course, but most assassins and killers had to be. But she would do anything to make sure a job got done, even if it involved teamwork or double-crossing, as Alex had found out the night before. She had a way of making you agree to anything she said. A brilliant negotiator, who made you think that everything she did was genuine, even if your reasonable side was screaming at you to run and hide.

He thought for a moment. If he had to choose which one was more dangerous, he'd have to pick Rose. Jerry's actions might be more calculated, more logical, and more accurate with everything he did, but Rose was more likely to cause mayhem. While Jerry might attack a fly with a proper flyswatter (And be successful), Rose would be at it with a tank (and still be successful, just with more carnage to deal with afterwards).

They pulled up to their destination. It looked like a great glob of nothing; completely abandoned, covered in thick grass.

They all got out slowly, reluctant to leave the car with its heating and floors that weren't wet like the greenery below them would undoubtedly be.

Alex followed Ashlyn. He noticed Rose and Jerry lagging behind. He saw her place a hand on his and giggle slightly. He looked at her coldly, and she smiled and skipped over to Alex, where her expression became more serious.

"What was that about?" Alex asked coolly.

She chuckled. "Jealous?"

He didn't really have an answer to that one.

She smiled and showed him her hand, palm upwards. The ring she was wearing was concealing a needle on its underside. "Only enough to stun the poor thing." She said with fake sympathy.

"You are a snake."

She smiled. "And loving it, Felix. And loving it."

He looked at her, unable to stop the smile that crept onto his face. "Remind me to never let you get too close to me."

She chuckled and kissed his cheek like she had the night before, then ran off calling, "Too late!"

He shook his head, chuckling, before noticing that Ashlyn was watching. Her black eyes were cold and thoughtful, her face calculating.

He swallowed and looked away, unable to stand the unnatural gaze that seemed to be penetrating through him, seeing into his mind and reaching into his memories, his deepest fears, dragging them to the surface…

He turned to look at Lance, at Jerry, at anyone that wasn't the artificial and unnatural Ashlyn Corby, away from the strange cut that appeared on her face.

Because it was probably only his imagination. He hadn't really seen it, he couldn't have.

He couldn't have seen metal under the blood on Ashlyn Corby's face.

But, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't look back at her either, to make sure he had been wrong.

Ashlyn's brilliant black eyes continued to watch them, glittering strangely as they walked up to a small house in the otherwise abandoned area.

"Booby trapped." Ashlyn explained to the three of them as they stood in front of it. "Trip wires, lasers, everything security measure you can think of is behind those doors. You are to take out the target through all those traps." Her teeth flashed as she smiled. "Weaponless."

Rose glared at her. "No." She said simply.

Ashlyn's horrible smile widened and she held out her hand. "I'm afraid so, Rose. So if you could please give me your knife…"

Alex had known it was inevitable. They needed to be weaponless, powerless. Though he wasn't completely sure his would work if he tried it.

But this was what MI6 had wanted. And it was what MI6 got.

Trying his best to look reluctant, he pulled out the gun. Jerry did the same, though Rose looked like she was about to shove her poisoned ring down Ashlyn's throat.

One of Ashlyn's too-perfect eyebrows rose in a flawless motion. "Rose, please. I don't want to hurt you."

Rose's eyes narrowed murderously. Alex gently placed a hand on hers, purposely toying with the ring.

The corner of Rose's lip twitched upwards, and Alex knew she'd gotten the idea. She handed the knife to Ashlyn, her expression still livid, but then turned and winked at Alex. She wasn't completely weaponless.

Alex questioned the logic behind reminding a potentially dangerous person that they still possessed a weapon, but he had his own reasons. Particularly one for self-preservation. If things turned ugly, at least one of them could help defend the others.

Ashlyn smiled at them all. "You'll go in one at a time, into each separate room." She looked at Jerry. "Starting with you."

Jerry smiled, though the motion was as cold and careful as all of his other actions. He went inside, his movements swift and fluid as he did so.

They waited for a moment before Ashlyn turned to Rose. "Your turn."

Rose smiled as well, then raced inside.

Alex waited for her to order him inside, already tensed and ready for whatever they tried to throw at him. He'd battled with Scorpia; this should look like child's play. At least, he hoped.

Suddenly, his eyes caught something else. A figure, stealing into the building, moving with absolute silence. It opened the back door and disappeared.

_Lance. _

But at that point, Ashlyn nodded to him, and he ran inside.

The first thing he noticed was the trip wire. He looked at it, trying to seem confident, and leapt over it.

He froze, knowing that this could very well just lead into another trap. He swore as he realized he was right. A laser beamed right in front of him.

He looked at it for a long time, mapping out where others were starting to shoot from the walls. He snorted. Lasers. Classic.

But difficult.

He looked at them, mapping out the fastest route he could, then smirked.

There was the barest gap above the lasers, large enough for a child, but never an adult. The problem was getting up there.

He turned around, looking for something, anything, that could help. These people wouldn't have made it impossible…

The walls. They were mainly wood, and wood had beams, flaws, everything.

He ran up to it. Sure enough, there was a beam that looked strong enough to hold his weight. Two, actually, side by side.

He placed one hand on each, pressing against it as hard as he could, lifting himself partially off the ground before placing his feet there as well. It took a few tries, but he managed it in the end.

He took a deep breath. He should be able to get to the top by sliding upwards using his hands and feet. There were so many flaws in the plan, he'd be lucky if he didn't break his neck. But these people wanted him to be spectacular, so that was what he would be.

But he never got to see if that plan would work. Because, at that moment, everything went wrong.

_"Jerry!_

It was Rose. Her voice sounded tortured, horrible, terrified.

Alex dropped to the floor, searching for doors, in the room. Thankfully, no alarms went off as he passed through the lasers. Apparently, all that counted was the footage from the cameras pointed at him.

He found the door at the end, where the target was meant to be. He yanked it open, and…

He recoiled in horror. Blood pooled around the floor.

And there, among the crimson liquid, with a knife in his chest, was Jerry.

"Don't move." A murderous voice, cold and dark, sounded behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized Rose's voice, then froze as he felt the needle pressed against the back of his neck.

"Rose, it's me. Felix."

"I know who it is!" The hate in her voice was phenomenal. "Was it you, Felix? Did you kill him?" The needle pressed closer. "_Did you?_"

"No!" He protested, trying to turn around. "No, Rose, it wasn't me! Please, you have to believe me! I didn't know…" He chocked, unable to take the sight of Jerry's limp form in front of him.

There was silence for a long time. Alex closed his eyes, expecting the needle to pierce into his skin, expecting the lifeless form of the former killer on the floor to be his last sight.

But Rose just chocked and dropped her hand, the needle with it. "I'll murder them." She vowed. "Every single one of them."

Alex turned to face her. "Rose…"

But there was a killer light in her eyes. "Don't stop me, Felix."

He knew there was nothing he could say. "It was Lance."

Her eyes blazed with a fury he had never seen. "How do you know?" She demanded, her voice barely a whisper.

"I saw him. Before I came in, I…" he trailed off, trying not to look at the pain in Rose's eyes.

Rose looked at him for a long time before walking over to Jerry and pulling the knife from his chest. She whispered a few words in what Alex thought was Russian, then stood, wiping the knife clean. "They'll pay for this." She turned to face Alex again. "Pay with their lives."

He swallowed, unsure how to talk her out of it, and unsure if he even wanted to.

She looked at him, her piercing gaze seeming to see right through him. They stayed in silence again, not knowing what to say.

Finally, Rose spoke up again. "I know you're not a killer by nature." She whispered. He was about to protest, but she held up a hand, cutting him off. "But I have to do this." She swallowed. "You're a… a…" She leaned over and whispered in his ear, presumably to hide her words from the cameras. "A spy, aren't you?"

He swallowed, unable to deny it. "How did you know?"

She sighed deeply, a miserable sound, and Alex could tell she was crying. "Because you don't have that killer's nature." She backed up and looked at him for a long time. "Who are you?"

He swallowed and went to whisper in _her _ear. He didn't want to deny it any longer. If she was a spy for the others, it was fine by him. Seeing Jerry like that… he didn't want it to continue.

"My name is Alex Rider."

Her breath caught in her throat. "_The _Alex Rider?" She asked.

He nodded once.

She looked at him, and there was silence once more.

And then she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you."

"For what?"

She looked at him. "My name is Christie." She said, not offering an explanation.

He smiled softly. "Well, Christie…"

She cut him off. "Scorpia killed my brother, Alex. My twin. Christian." Her eyes were filled with gratitude. "And you finished it for me. You did what I couldn't. You destroyed them." She hugged him tighter. "Without becoming the killer that I am."

She released him and, without another word, ran out the door.

* * *

Christie's eyes narrowed dangerously. This house was booby trapped, but now it was to her advantage.

"Here, Lance." She breathed, her hand tightening around the knife.

* * *

Ashlyn looked at the others, who had arrived minutes ago. "Inside, now. There are two of them. Surely you can handle that?"

They glared at her. There were at least twenty of them, all with (at minimum) military training. Many had once worked with Scorpia. Others were simply soldiers for hire.

"We don't take orders from children." One sneered.

Ashlyn's brilliant black eyes landed on him. In one swift, fluid motion, her hand was gripping his collar, dragging him down to her height. "Then you die, don't you?" her sharp teeth showed under her smile.

His eyes widened in fear as she released him, and he collapsed.

"I want them out of there! And I want _him _alive!"

* * *

Christie listened to the orders from the window, a killer's gleam in her eye. So, Ashlyn was introducing more players to this game. Fine by her.

She ran, waiting. This was her moment. She was in her element.

Because Christie had always been a killer.

* * *

They split up as they walked through the door, each of them searching. They'd been told that appearances were deceiving. Whatever _that _meant. But it was all the instruction they had, other than that they were looking for one male and one female. They had to bring out the male alive, the female didn't matter.

And they were only there for backup, anyway. If the two they were meant to retrieve had met, they were to go inside. Because as a team, the two could be unstoppable.

Suddenly, one of them froze. "Do you hear that?"

Everyone went silent.

"It sounds like…" Another one said. "Someone _crying._"

They followed the noise to a small cupboard, which they opened cautiously.

There, on the floor, was a child. She was sobbing violently. She looked at them with wide and terrified eyes.

"A child?" One asked.

They were all thrown for a moment. The child suddenly smiled darkly. "No. Your worst nightmare."

And then the world exploded.

* * *

One thing Alex had been sure of; Christie would need help.

He hurriedly explored the house. Not every trap was innocent and harmless. He soon found areas where knives were flung at him, bullets were fired, and arrows whizzed by his head.

But the supply cabinet was the icing on the cake.

With a smile that he must have picked up from Christie, he yanked out every deadly weapon he could keep in his arms at once. But in the end, all he really needed was the grenade.

He pulled out the pin and shoved it into the cupboard, then ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He guessed that it was designed to last a little longer than five seconds before exploding, but it did the job as he dropped to the floor.

The wall had been completely blasted through, and Alex smiled grimly as the dust began to settle.

And then he ran again.

* * *

Christie jabbed the needle in her ring into someone's ankle. He cried out as she sliced another person's leg with her knife, rolling once and landing on her feet.

Her elbow struck someone's nose, and her knife slashed by another person's side. She kept whirling expertly, fist, knife, and needle connecting with everyone there.

She'd probably taken down half of them before reinforcements came.

* * *

Alex raced down the hall, trying to ignore the growing stitch in his side. The machine gun he'd found was still clutched tightly in his hand.

He ran, now in a far different area than where he had been when he'd set the grenade. He lifted up the gun, took aim, and fired.

* * *

Christie smiled as the bullets sliced through the weakest points in the walls, and into the hallway from the other room.

She noted the look of panic on the soldiers' faces. They seemed certain that there were more than the two people that they were meant to recover.

She separated them expertly, dancing around with blade in hand.

* * *

Ashlyn Corby listened carefully to the sounds of explosions and gunfire, the sounds of people crying out in pain.

She sighed. "Really. Do I have to do everything myself?"

* * *

It took two more grenades and a lot more knife work before all of the soldiers were on the floor or gone, having run away when they 'realized' that there were more than two people here.

Christie's eyes blazed as she raced after those who were fleeing. "Where is Lance? _WHERE IS LANCE?" _But no one answered. Alex came up behind her and gently caught her shoulder. "We'll find him." He promised. "But you have to calm down!"

She halted and turned to face him, panting heavily, the battle still raging in her blood.

He took a deep breath, exhausted. He'd been running around and throwing well-placed grenades, trying to make it look like enemy fire was coming from all directions. It had worked, apparently.

"Well well." A voice sounded out that sent chills dancing across Alex. Christie held out her knife, crouched defensively.

Ashlyn Corby was surveying the carnage with mild interest. "More creative than I'd thought." She smiled. "But I highly doubt that you'll be able to scare me off so easily."

"Who says we have to scare you?" Christie demanded, acid lacing her voice. "I wouldn't mind just killing you."

Ashlyn smiled, that sharp-toothed smile that always sent fear through Alex's heart. "But can you, Rose? Do you really think you could kill me?"

"I can try."

Ashlyn laughed and easily dropped into a fighting stance. "Then do it."

Christie launched herself at Ashlyn before Alex could stop her.

It was a fierce battle. Christie was furious, quick, and dangerous. But Ashlyn had a certain lethal grace about how she just danced aside to avoid Christie's blade.

But it didn't last long. Ashlyn had Christie's neck in her arm, and was just about ready to snap it, the blood and battle misting in her eyes…

"Stop!" Alex cried.

Ashlyn froze.

"Please! Just stop!"

Christie glared at him, then shoved her knife into Ashlyn's hand.

Ashlyn didn't even blink.

Christie's eyes widened. "Impossible." She breathed.

But Ashlyn slammed her hand into Christie's forehead. The girl was unconscious in a split-second. She dropped limply to the floor.

"Surrender, Alex." Ashlyn said.

Alex froze. "My name is Fe…"

"It's Alex Rider, actually." Ashlyn completed for him. "Don't lie to me anymore."

Alex took a step back. "No… My name-"

But he never got any further. Lance stepped up behind him.

Alex Rider was unconscious before he hit the ground.


	7. The Project

Alex woke slowly. Sound returned first, though there wasn't much to hear. His head felt foggy, and there was a shooting pain between his eyes.

Slowly, steadily, vision began to return.

The room was dimly lit, and incredibly cold. He looked around.

Ashlyn Corby stood completely still, watching him with glittering black eyes. Her arms were crossed, and she was leaning casually against the wall. Her brilliant dyed-red hair stood out fantastically against the bright white of the wall, while the rest of her seemed to almost blend in, she was so pale. There was no smile, no sharp teeth showing, but she still looked deadly.

In shock, Alex tried to stand up. He found himself falling backwards, his stomach lurching as the concrete behind him started to rush towards his head…

Ashlyn was behind him in an instant, lifting his chair back into its upright position, and him with it.

She sighed, exasperated. "Don't do that again." She ordered.

She walked back to the wall calmly and leaned against it once more, as though waiting.

Alex swallowed. "Where are we?" he demanded. "And…" He looked down. "Why am I tied to a chair?"

She laughed humorlessly. "Why else? You're a spy for MI6. Alex Rider."

Alex swallowed, then decided it was better to remain 'ignorant'. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She rolled her black eyes. "Don't play dumb with me."

He realized it wasn't going to work. He was caught, and he knew it. "What do you want?" he demanded.

She smiled. "It's not what I want, Alex. It's what The Director wants. She's very keen to meet you."

"Who is The Director?"

She chuckled. "You're not the first to ask that question. All of the others ended up dead. That will probably be the case for you."

"What-"

She glared at him. "Enough."

Alex found himself silenced by her gaze. There was something incredibly different about Ashlyn Corby. She looked relatively the same, but she was holding herself with a more determined stare, a bolder look. She looked more robotic and artificial than ever, and at the same time seemed more relaxed. As though her human look had just been a disguise, and this was the real creature inside. There was something even more lethal and terrifying about her, something dangerous, something harsh and cruel.

And that wasn't all. Her already brilliant black eyes had changed as well. There was nothing human in them anymore.

And was he imagining things, or was there really no whites in her eyes? Were they really _all black?_

"Ashlyn?" The door opened above a small set of stairs. Alex's eyes narrowed in hate. It was Lance.

"He's awake." She called back, not even bothering to look at him, looking instead at her nails. Alex shivered; those looked dangerous as well, filed to an edge that looked like it could slice through skin. "She can see him."

Lance nodded and disappeared for a moment. Finally, he came back through the door, a woman followed him. She had long, brown, wavy hair that hung barely past her shoulders, and glistening brown eyes. She walked down the stairs slowly, then stood in front of Alex. Her eyes searched him disapprovingly.

"This is Alex Rider?" She asked doubtfully. Ashlyn nodded.

"He doesn't seem like much." She said disdainfully.

Ashlyn smirked. "Most children don't. But we can be completely lethal."

The woman turned to face Ashlyn, then winced and turned away quickly, her face pale. She took a deep breath, as though the mere thought of the unnatural child was revolting.

"What does he know?" She asked at last, keeping her eyes locked on Alex.

"Not much."

"Anything about the Project?"

Ashlyn chuckled as Alex's eyes lit up, though he tried to hide it. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"He's completely ignorant, Director. He doesn't even know what the paper meant. Or the gun, for that matter."

Alex felt a wave of despair wash through him. They had found the paper that he kept in his pocket, the one with the numbers on it, the one meant for the Project. _And _they knew about the gun, also meant for Project 314.

Ashlyn smiled as she saw the emotion passing across his face. "No worries, Alex." She pulled out the gun that he'd given her earlier. "Project 314 got your little gadget, and the paper."

Alex looked at her in confusion. "What?" If she was holding the gun, then the Project _couldn't _have gotten it.

The Director raised an eyebrow. "He really _doesn't know._"

Ashlyn laughed. "Totally _ignorant."_

"I am not ignorant!" Alex couldn't handle it anymore. "Would someone just tell me _what's going on? _And where's Rose?"

Ashlyn glared at him.

"Rose?" The Director asked.

"One of the children who applied for the job." Ashlyn explained.

"Ah."

"Where is she?" The question that had once been an afterthought was now blazing in his mind.

"Dead, if you must know." Ashlyn said coolly.

Alex's heart dropped into his stomach.

Suddenly, a flash of rage and anger that he'd never known before went through him. He started muttering random things, finding he could no longer control his own words. "Murdering, lying, traitorous…"

He never finished. "And your MI6 is so much better?" Ashlyn demanded. Her voice was soft, but filled with such loathing and rage that it made her words shake slightly.

"She's right." The Director said coldly. She turned to Ashlyn again, trying hard not to flinch. "Show him."

Ashlyn nodded once, as though she didn't trust herself to speak. She pulled something out of her pocket and placed it in front of Alex's face. "Recognize her?"

Alex looked at the photo for a long time before he realized who it was. It was the girl in the picture Alan Blunt had shown him, the girl he believed to be Sandra Anderson, before Blunt told him that Ashlyn Corby was the person these people really kidnapped.

"Sandra Anderson." He replied, playing dumb.

Ashlyn laughed, a humorless, harsh laugh that was laced with pain. "They don't even get the name right." She said softly.

"Indeed." Said the Director, her eyes calculating and thoughtful. "You believe that we kidnapped this 'Sandra Anderson', correct?"

Alex nodded.

Ashlyn rolled her eyes. "Look at the picture, Alex. I mean, _really _look at it."

Alex did as ordered. The girl was beautiful, and had soft grey eyes that were no longer blurred and indistinct, and no longer held any fear. She was smiling, a bright, happy smile that shone brightly. Black hair fell past her shoulders.

But slowly, he realized. The resemblance was slight, but there. The grey eyes were now black, the black hair now a flaming dyed-red color. Her teeth and nails were now sharpened into points. Her natural, healthy, _human _look had disappeared, changing into this plastic creature in front of him, unnatural and strange.

Something terrible had happened to Ashlyn Corby. Because 'Sandra Anderson' really _was _Ashlyn Corby, and not just by situation or name.

Because the girl in the picture was Ashlyn. There was no doubt in Alex's mind.

What had happened to her? What had changed her so badly, what had created this monster in front of him?

"Beautiful, wasn't she?" The Director asked regretfully. "Before you're precious _MI6 _got a hold of her."

Alex swallowed. "I never said they were _precious._" He growled, unsure what to say. "But they don't murder for no reason!"

"Murder!" Ashlyn barked a resentful laugh. "What is death compared to _this?_"

Alex stared at her in shock. Ashlyn seemed like a person who held herself high above others, someone who saw her inhumanity as a good thing, something that separated her from the weaklings, that made her _better. _He had no idea that maybe, just _maybe, _she hated what she was.

"But… but we're talking about countless murders! Lives _lost! Children _dying for no reason!" Alex protested.

"D-Death is _nothing!" _Ashlyn shrieked, hate and rage and pain in her metallic voice. Her sharp nails were suddenly next to Alex's face. "_N-Nothing _compared to th-this!"

Alex wondered briefly where the stutter had come from, but he had no time to really think about it as The Director gently took Ashlyn off of him, saying in a soothing voice, "He doesn't know, Ashlyn, it's ok, he doesn't know."

"Doesn't know what?" Alex demanded.

Ashlyn glared at him resentfully. "He's so blissfully _ignorant._"

"Well, Ashlyn, if you'd like to put him out of his misery, be my guest." The Director snapped.

Ashlyn looked like she really did want to do as the Director suggested, but didn't dare. She compromised by glowering at Alex as she leaned against the wall.

"But you really don't know, do you?" The Director asked, looking directly at Alex.

He raised an eyebrow. "_What _don't I know?" he demanded.

"Think about it, Alex. What is the only theory that makes any _sense?_"

"_**Theory about what**_?" Alex roared, unable to take their condescending tones and faces any longer.

The Director rolled her eyes. "Project 314, of course." She replied coldly.

"I have no theories! Only…"

"Orders?" Ashlyn's cold voice joined the conversation once more.

Alex didn't know what to say. Of course, they were technically orders, but that implied that he meant nothing to them, that he was just there to obey commands…

_You've been replaced, Alex. _Smithers' words rang in his head suddenly. He swallowed.

"Basically." He said grudgingly. The corner of Ashlyn's lip twitched upwards.

The Director sighed deeply. "Think about it, Alex. Just _think._ MI6 told you that Sandra Anderson, who you now know is Ashlyn Corby, had been kidnapped by us. Correct?"

Alex nodded, unsure where she was getting with this.

"You were also told that a certain project was inside our operations and gathering intelligence."

He nodded again.

"You had no idea what this Project was. Just that it terrified anyone who heard it mentioned, correct?"

"Yes."

"Anything else? Did anyone say anything to you?"

"No." He lied.

Ashlyn smirked. "Really? Because it was my impression that Smithers told you to…" She took a deep breath, and recited her words in a voice that sounded exactly like Smithers', "Listen to me. Don't take this mission. Please, if you value your life, stay as far away from this as you can. Run. Hide. Do whatever you have to, but _stay away._"

Alex felt the blood drain from his cheeks. "How did you…?"

"He still can't figure it out." Lance sneered.

Hate flashed through Alex. "Then _tell me!_" he demanded.

The Director ignored them both. "_Think, _Alex. We knew from day one that you were here. How else would we recognize you?"

"Think about the paper." Ashlyn intervened, waving the sheet in front of its eyes. "What does it say?"

Alex swallowed. "It's a code."

Ashlyn sighed, exasperated. "What _kind _of code, Alex. What code is made of zeroes and ones?"

It hit him like a slap to the face. "Computer code." His mind strained to understand. "So… the Project's a computer?"

Ashlyn sighed again, placing the paper at her side. "The Project got your little gun and paper, remember?"

"So?"

"You're just a child!" Her voice had returned to sounding like Smithers'. "Just a child. Just like _her._"

She pulled out a knife. "Your precious MI6 created Project 314." She sliced into her hand, opening the semi-closed gash that Christie had given her hours before. "They created something perfect. Far too perfect."

She held up her hand. Blood flowed down it. But, hidden there, was the glittering of metal.

"They created the p-perfect s-s-spy." She replied, stuttering angrily.

"They changed a y-y-young girl." She continued, tying up her hand and putting away her knife.

Her brilliant all-black eyes landed on Alex's.

"They created a t-t-traitor!" She continued. Lance and The Director smirked; the betrayal was obviously not against them.

"They c-created…" She leaned in next to Alex's face, so that her too-perfect nose was almost touching his, her shark-like teeth a bright white as she smiled, a twisted smile of hate and malice. "A _monster._"

She stood up. "They created me, Alex."

Alex knew what she was going to say, even before she said it. He knew, without knowing how he knew. But everything in him whispered of this girl's hideous past, her darkest memories, her brilliant, midnight-black eyes that radiated pain, her hatred and rage. Everything in him told him what he had failed to see, despite how obvious it had been.

Her black eyes glittered, and she towered over him, triumphant.

"I am Project 314."


End file.
